Feed bunk



Jan. 2, 1962 H. BERESFORD 3,015,308

FEED BUNK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1959 I4- 1 II g INVENTOR.

HOBART BEREJFORD BY A TTOPNE v5 Jan. 2, 19 2 H. BERESFORD 3,015,308

FEED BUNK Filed Oct. 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HOBART BERESFOQD 10M I Mam ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,015,308 FEED BUNK Hobart Beresford, Ames, Iowa, assignor to Iowa State College Research Foundation, Ames, Iowa, an association of Iowa Filed Oct. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 845,135 6 Claims. (Cl. 119-61) This invention relates to troughs for feeding dry materials to farm animals and particularly to troughs of the feed bunk type arranged for vibratory feeding action.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved feed bunk which combines a mechanism for reciprocally vibrating the bunk with a novel lining arrangement within the bunk for rapidly and uniformly distributing feed throughout the length of the bunk.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a feed bunk that is self cleaning of ice and snow or leftover feed, and also wherein there is no possible chance of injury to the operator or to livestock or poultry during the operation thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feed bunk employing one embodiment, of the present invention, with parts broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the feed bunk looking toward the bunk from the upper right end thereof in FIG. 1, and with certain parts removed for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the feed bunk from the left corner end of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the feed bunk; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the vibrating action of the center section of the feed bunk.

Referring now to the drawing, the feed bunk of this invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 and includes a trough unit 11 of an elongated, generally box shape having a. fiat bottom wall 12, side walls 13, and end walls 14. The bottom wall 12 is divided into a pair of side planks or sections 16 for feeding purposes, and a center or intermediate plank or section 17 extended longitudinally of the bottom wall 12 and separated from the side sections 16 for oscillatory or vibratory movement relative thereto. Notches 18 are provided in the end walls 14 for such movement.

The trough unit 11 is mounted on a supporting frame unit 19 including a pair of runners 23 on each of which a pair of posts 21 are supported by means of angle irons 22 secured thereto and to the runners 23. Support for the side and center sections 16 and 17 is provided by transverse cross braces 24 which are secured to and extended between transversely opposite pairs of posts 21.

The center section 17 is provided with a pair of resilient straps 26 of spring steel which enables a vibra tory movement to be applied to the section 17.

The straps (FIG. 4) are mounted in a longitudinally spaced relation and each is secured between a pair of transverse cross members 27 (FIGS. 1 and '4) mounted on the runners 23, and a clcat 28 secured to the underside of the center section 17. By virtue of the spring straps 26 being normally inclined toward what shall be termed the rear end 29 of the feed bunk 10, the center section is normally maintained in a position resting on the cross braces 24, and substantially level with the side sections 16.

Power for moving the center section 17 is provided by a motor 32 (FIG. 2) mounted on a platform 33 and arranged to drive a belt pulley 34 by means of a continuous belt 36. The pulley 34 is secured on a shaft 37 rotatably mounted in bearings 38 supported on the runners 23, and having mounted thereon an eccentric cam or follower 39 for operative engagement with a transverse roller 41 (FIG. 3) carried on bearing units 45 which are secured to the bottom of the center section.

It may readily be seen that rotation of the eccentric cam 39 results in the center section 17 being bumped toward the front end 31 of the feed bunk upon engagement of the bar 41 by the cam 39. This forward movement is transmitted to the resilient straps 26, which by virtue of their swinging or pivoting movement in a counter-clockwise direction (FIG. 4) about their base or lower ends transmits upward movement to the center sections. Thus, a translatory upward and longitudinal movement is transmitted to the center section 17, as indicated by the arrow and the dotted line position thereof in FIG. 5. The resiliency of the spring straps 26 returns the center section 17 back to its normalpo- 'sition, as indicated by the full line position of the center section in FIG. 5.

Due to the continued rotation of the cam 39 repeatedly striking the bar 41 in an intermittent manner, the translatory movement of the center section 17 is reciprocal, resulting in a vibratory or oscillatory movement thereof. What therefore may be termed a shaker or vibratory feeding movement of the center section occurs, whereby dry feed placed in the trough 11 at the rear end 29 is moved toward the front end 31.

The movement of the feed is further expedited, and also the distribution thereof is made uniform as to its movement laterally of the center section 17 and toward the side or feeding sections 16, by virtue of a sheet 42 of flexible material such as plastic. The sheet 42 is placed loosely over the interior surfaces of the side walls 13 and the bottom wall 12 in a nested manner, best indicated in FIG. 2, and is secured at 43 to the upper edges of the side walls 13 and at 44 to the top surface of the center section 17.

Thus, on operation of the motor 32 which results in vibration of the center section 17 in the forward path of movement indicated, the sheet or lining 42 is caused to efiect ripples or waves running longitudinally forward of the trough and also laterally of the center section 17. This rippling action results in progressive movement of the feed material from the rear toward the front end 31 of the feed bunk 10.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein. it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the full scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, an elongated feed trough having a bottom wall with an elongated movable central portion, means supporting said feed trough, means resiliently mounting said central portion on said supporting means for longitudinal and vertical movement thereof relative to said bottom wall, means mounted on said supporting means for reciprocally moving said central portion in a direction toward one end of said feed trough, and means secured to the inner surfaces of said feed trough and movable in a rippling manner over said bottom wall upon movement of said central portion.

2. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, feed bunk means of an elongated nature having a bottom wall, side walls and end walls, means for supporting said feed bunk means, a central portion of said bottom wall separated from the remainder thereof for movement vertically and longitudinally of said bottom wall remainder, resilient means biasing said' central portion to a position substantially level with said bottom wall remainder, said resilient means adapted upon longitudinal movement of said central portion to move said central portion upwardly, means for vibrating said central portion in a direction longitudinally toward one end of said bunk means, and means, loosely fastened to and lining the surfaces of said feed bunk bottom and side walls and adapted to effect a rippling movement during said vibration of said central portion.

3. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, a feed trough unit having a bottom wall with a longitudinal center section movable relative to the remainder of said bottom Wall, a flexible material nested within the interior of said trough unit, resilient means mounted on said feed trough unit and eugageable with said center section for maintaining said center section in a normally level position relative to said bottom wall remainder, and adapted upon movement to raise said center section to a position above said level position, said resilient means further operable to return said center section to said level position from said raised position, and continuously rotatable means mounted on said feed trough unit for intermittently bumping said center section longitudinally toward one end of said unit.

4.. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, a substantially horizontal feeding trough having a substantially flat feeding surface and having further an opening formed centrally and longitudinally therein, a substantially horizontal vibratory feeding member mounted in said opening, and having a substantially flat feeding surface, and a sheet of flexible material extended across the surface of said trough and said member and adapted to eflfect a rippling movement during the vibration of said vibratory member, with said flexible sheet being secured to said feeding member and to said trough at positions to opposite sides of said feeding member.

5. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, means forming a pair of transversely spaced, elongated feeding sections having substantially flat surfaces, means forming an elongated vibrating section having a substantially fiat surface and mounted between said feeding sections, means for oscillating'said vibrating section whereby the surface thereof is raised above said feeding section surfaces and toward one end of the apparatus opposite the end whereat said material is placed, and means loosely lining said fiat surfaces of said feeding sections and said vibrating section and adapted upon oscillation of said vibrating section to move the material longitudinally of said vibrating section toward said apparatus one end while also moving the material laterally of said vibrating section toward and onto said feeding sections.

6. A dry material feeding apparatus comprising, an elongated feed trough having normally upstanding, transversely spaced side walls, means for supporting said side walls, a bottom wall intermediate said side walls and including a central member adapted for movement vertically and longitudinally relative to said side walls, resilient means connected to said central member, means for intermittently moving said central member in a direction toward one end of said feed trough and whereby said resilient means reacts to return said central member in the opposite direction, and means placed loosely over the interior surfaces of said feed trough and secured to said side walls and to said central member, and movable in arippling manner in the direction of movement of said central member-upon movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,785,792 Cordis Mar. 19, 1957 2,899,044 Allen et al. Aug. 11, 1959 2,907 445 Jones Oct. 6. 1959 

